Dolly’s high tides close local beach

Tuesday

HOUMA -- Port officials have closed Fourchon Beach to vehicle access as high tides from Tropical Storm Dolly made their way toward the area.

Dolly was predicted to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall near Brownsville, Texas, late today or early Wednesday morning.

No major trouble was expected in Louisiana, though some rain and high tides were already emerging this morning.

"Weíre expecting to reopen it as soon as the tides recede," Paula Schouest, spokeswoman for the Greater Lafourche Port Commission, said about the beach closure this morning.

Schouest could not say when the igh waters might seep back enough to reopen the strand to the cars and trucks that drive onto the beach for surf-fishing, crabbing, swimming, surfing and other recreational uses.

Schouest said the Port Commission was "being safe," in closing the beach to cars and trucks.

"Itís high enough to block vehicle access," she said of the water level. "Itís not washing the beach away by any means."

Elsewhere in Terrebonne and La-fourche, officials said they were monitoring water levels but did not expect any significant flooding from the storm system.

Windell Curole, interim levee director for Terrebonne and Lafourche, said he did not expect to close any floodgates in Lafourche and said crews were monitoring tides in Terrebonne.

June Naquin, who works in the store at the Pointe-aux-Chenes Ma-rina, said tides were high but not a problem for the fishermen leaving from the docks this morning.

"Itís being high, but not that high," she said. "The fishingís been pretty good."

At the Louisiana Universities Ma-rine Consortium building in Coco-drie, a receptionist who glanced out the window said the parking lot was dry.

"The tideís high but we donít have any flooding," Cindy Sevin said.

Grand Isle International Tarpon Rodeo participants may want to keep an eye on the tropics this week.

Tropical Storm Dolly made its way today through southern the Gulf of Mexico and set its sights on the southern Texas and northern Mexico coasts. The storm was expected to make landfall on Wednesday.

Although Dolly is forecast to strike hundreds of miles away, Jim Vasilj of the National Weather Service in Slidell said rodeo participants should monitor the storm.

"The early part of this week will be affected by Dolly, but Thursday and Friday it should not be an issue," he said. "It shouldnít cause any problems with the exception of tides a little higher than normal."

Vasilj said fishermen should be more concerned with the excessive temperatures and thunderstorms forecast throughout the rodeo. The National Weather Service is calling for temperatures in the lower 90s and chances of afternoon thunderstorms.

Light to moderate seas are also forecast throughout the weekend with the ranges from 1 to 4 feet.

Wayne Keller, executive director of the Grand Isle Port Commission, said island officials are monitoring Dolly, but they donít expect it to affect the rodeo.

Keller said they are more concerned with the heavy afternoon thunderstorms that can saturate the rodeo grounds.

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